The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-04-22

Dusnls6 % John y. NeGrath's ummense
wall Paper nsonhllshnsnt o. Chlcegos
Accompanied ~ Loss ~ Life--TAe Loss
efProperty Ese1mated - Mali MILLION.
CnlcAao. April la--John J. Nc0rath's
wall paper Establishment Nos. 100 70 liz
Wabash avenue, the largest and nnost -
the city, and ono Of tho most extensive IN
the country, was totally destroyed BY IRE
between three and four o'clock this morn
ing. Tho nre was already under great
hcadway when . private Waterman dis.
covered smoke and flame iss uing from
tho roof way to tho back Of the building.
He turned In IN alarm, but before the hrc
department arrived the business
portion Of the city was illu-
minated by the glars, and .
general alarm was sent In immediately.
This brought out oil the apparatus that
could possibly mud space 70 work in, and
streams Of water were poured upon tho
burning building from the front and rear,
and also from the roofs OF adjoining build
ings. Long before four o'clock ono Of the
costliest stocks Of paper In the country
was being carried skyward and distrib-
uted In blazing sheets over the city. The
upper floors had fallen and the building
was 70 all appearance completely Quilted.
being dropped upon the frst floor, and II
seemed utterly impossible that any por-
tion Of the building could DO saved.
A. soon a. II became II apparent that
the building and its contents were doomed
TO total destruction, the hrcmen turned
their attention TO the buildings on either
side
On the north stood the fine hve-story
building once occupied by A. 4. Stewart
a Co., and now occupied by Keith. Ben
ham 4 Dezendorf, wholesale hardware
dealers. This building, numbered from
9S to lO& inclusive, was we'll prote cted
by q strong fire wall and sue
cessfully resisted the flames, as did
the building on the south, also a five-story
structure. II Is occupied by d. b. Tennis
4 CO., millinery: N. r. Sproehnle & Co,
jewelers.; 7. b. Smith. straw goods; l..
+. Crandall T. Co, and 7. ID. Marsh Il Co.
None Of the tenants suffered any loss, ex-
cept possibly slight damage by water.
J. J. McGrath was said 10 be the owner
OF the building Nos. l06 70 liz. which Is
about eighty feet front by $50 deep. II
was q stone front. and cost about $780,
00o Mr.. McGrath's stock was valued, Il
Is said, at nearly half million OF dollars.
Both stock and building are an almost TO-
| tai loss.
shortly after four O'Clock Captain Fred
Refs OF truck No 3was standing in the
alley in the rear Of the building, when
| several large stones fell from the top Of
, the building. One Of them struck Refs on
| the left leg, fracturing it. He was taken
| TO his home
4 II Is thought that . man belonging to
(, the truck is imprisoned Ia the building.
| He was at work on the first floor when
| the roof and upper floors fell through.
l At half-past four o'clock John Heberlie,
lieutenant Of Engine Company No 80, was
J badly. possibly fatally, hurt The mem
| bers OF No S2 hoisted a ladder up 70 the
! south window OF the McGrath building,
1 and Hebcrlc started up with q line Of
I hose As he reached the top Of the ladder
| the slippery condition OF the sidewalk
| caused the ladder. which was not braced,
| to slide outward Hebcrlic fell distance
| OF twenty feet. alighting on the back Of
4 his head His skull was fractured. He
| was conveyed TO the 3rs house on Michi'
\ gan avenue, and at latest accounts was
| still unconscious and not expected TO II "a
| more than a few hours.
CHICAGO, April la-Michael Burns, o.
truck No. ., was standing in q fourth
story window when sheet OF fame came
out enveloped him and he fell into tn
blazing mass.